Tubular postal system



" April 8, 1930.

'TUBUL AR POSTAL SYSTEM Filed Jan. 31, 1929 Jnvenfor W/Ll/E-LM fl owiormeyd/ Patented Apr. 8 1930 UITE STATES PATENT Free \VILI-IELM HGI-INE, OF BERLIN-CHARLOTTENBURG, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR '10 DEUTSCHE GERMANY TUBULAR POSTAL SYSTEM Application filed January 31, 1929, Serial No.

The present invention relates to a sluice gate for the separate stations. of tubular postal sections through which a travelling container is adapted to pass withas little delay as possible and in any case without obstruction due to the counter pressure of the low blower pressure of the partial section which is being traversed upon higher blower pressure of the succeeding partial section to be traversed.

Arrangements are known in which only a single closure member (slider or flap) is provided at the station in order to relatively close the two ends of the conveying tube. lVhen opening the closure member the new excess pressure (for example the compressed air of a blower) acts against the container, tilts its 7 leather rim and thus causes the container to wedge in the conveying tube. For this reason no operation must take place on the succeeding partial section, that is'to say a container must not pass through this, at the same time as a container reaches the slider and so forth and opens this. Every alternate partial section is therefore inoperative.

As the speed of the container, particularly when the container is operated simultaneously by compressed and suction air in each section, is high the fact that an intermediate section remains idle is a very considerable defect.

Having regard to this operation the passage of the container through the station, at which it must actuate a contact, is secured, in accordance with the invention, in a simple manner by providing two closure members at a suitable distance apart at this point instead of only a single closure member, so that they close between them a sluice chamber, whilst pressure or vacuum is alternately allowed to act on the chamber at the correct periods of time. The admission of pressure or vacuum is eifected'by contacts on the conveying tube which are actuated by the container. By reasonof this arrangement the incoming container is drawn by the suction itself past the first closure member, which for example consists of a flap to be opened, so that it does not have to do any work in opening this flap. It is also immediately 336,537, and in'Germany February 15, 1327.

actuated by the fresh actuating stream of air. with considerable force so that it also passes easily through the second flap. In fact the kinetic energy of the container need no longer cooperate substantially in order to drive the container effectively through the station. The container, therefore, always passes with certaintythrough the station. This securtiy is obtained to the greatest extent if the vacuum inlet to the sluice chamber is arranged in the direction of travelling of the container behind the pressure inlet (both inlets being therefore crossed), as then there is a no stable position for the container. This arrangement is of particular advantage for container trains whereas for a separate container it is suflicient if both inlets lead into the middle of the chamber at the same point or (without crossing) closely adjacent to one another.

The sluice according to the invention can be still'further improved if the pressure and Vacuum are not only connected directly to the chamber itself but also at both ends outside the chamber to the conveying tube and the admission is suitably adjusted. With such an arrangement it is no longer necessary to provide an idle intermediate section, as stated above, but the containers (or container trains) may pass through all the partial sections simultaneously at a suitable distance apart.

The invention also has the advantages mentioned for short sections and when using lower operating pressures, even if to a smaller extent, and it is therefore more advantageous for all methods of operation than the single closing member. In general it is possible to use either sliders or flaps, the latter also,-as a substitute for the sliders, with positive control by conveying tube contacts.

As actuating airit is possible to use with the, new sluice both compressed air or atmospheric air'and it is, therefore, not necessary to effect a change from suction to compressed air at the station, but the operation may be such that the change takes placef-rom atmosphere to suction or from compressed air to atmosphere.

The invention will now be more fully decompressed air is used. In this ca scribed with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fi 1 is a diagrammatic view of a system in which the present invention is used.

Fig. 2 is a cross section of one form of relay.

Fig. 3 is a cross section of a modified form of relay.

Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic illustration of a conveying tube section with the starting station I, the intermediate stations II to V and the two dividing points T at each of which there is provided a suction connection S and a compressed air connection D. In the conveying tube F there is provided in front of each intermediate station a switch point IV of usual construction. The conveying tube is also provided at u for example with permanently open interrupting points. The right hand end of the complete section is not illustrated. At each intermediate station a indicates the discharge point, and e the dispatching point for the container. A container introduced at the station T, when setting the switch point of the intermediate stations II, III for through passage, is forced by the compressed air supplied at T and the suction applied at T up to the division point T, the air at the front of the container escaping at a during the pressure period whilst atmospheric air enters at this point during the suction period. The container passes through the division point T, the fur-"her switch points of the intermediate stations IV, V, set for through passage, the division point T and so forth to the end of the section, the conveyance being effected on each partial section in the same manner as in the first section, by the application of compressed air at the left and after the container has passed the point u by the application of suction to the right. The correct application of the compressed air and suction is controlled by the container and conveying tube contacts not shown in the drawing. If the containers do not travel to the end of the complete section, but are adapted to be received at an interme diate station, for example V, the switch point of the cor 'esponding station is so set that the container is diverted into the discharge portion of the station and is discharged at a.

The arrangement at the dividing point T is shown in Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 shows the case, as in Figure 1. in which suction and compressed air S and 1) respectively are used, whilst Figure 3 shows a case in which only so the air in front of the container passes out at A It is also possible to imagine this case when only suction is used, in which case suction is applied at A and atmospheric air enters at D (Figure 3). In both the latter cases it will, of course, be understood that the points of interruption to must be omitted. The arrangement of the division points, however, remains the same in all cases as will be seen by a comparison of Figures 2 and 3.

At each division point closure flaps g are arranged in the conveying tube, in connecting boxes 7', in such a manner that in the direction of travelling of the container indicated, that is to say from left to right, they close the tube which enters the left hand end of the connecting chamber. Figure 2 shows the position of the flaps g at the moment when a container B is passing the sluice chamber 7c located between the flaps g. In travelling through the container has opened the left hand flap g and the valves V V which are connected together, are still in such a position that between the container and the flap 9 at the right hand end suction is still being applied, whilst to the right of the flap g in the continuingportion of the conveying tube compressed air is present. This action is effected through the branches 0, d of the conveying tube, whilst branches a, Z) are closed by the valves.

The container has been drawn into the sluice chamber by the suction applied through the branch 0. On the further move ment of the container the latter actuates the enveying tube contact 2' and thus reverses the valves V and V in such a manner that the branches 0, (Z are closed and the branches a, Z) are opened. Consequently compressed air now passes through the branch I) behind the container, whilst the left hand flap 9 is closed. The compressed air forces the container through the flap 9 at the right and into the outgoing section of the conveying tube. The passage of the container through the division point is effected without stoppage as the reversing of the valves V V takes place during the travelling of the con-- tainer.

After leaving the sluice the container actuates the second conveying tube contact 2' and thus causes the valves to return into their normal position as shown. This contact may simultaneously serve to effect the connection of suction to the next division point. This latter operation may, if desired, be performed by the contact 2' When reversing the valves V V as hereinbefore described, the branch at is opened. The incoming section of the conveying tube has thus been connected to suction. Any containers located in this section are, therefore, conveyed further without any interruption of their travelling and also drawn towards the division point whereupon their passage through the chamber 70 is effected in the manner hereinbefore described. .Vhilst bringing the container up to the left hand flap 9 compressed air is present in the chamber 70 from the previous reversal of the valves or, as above described, the valves have already been reversed by the conveying tube contact 2' so igvaaesrr that suction is again being applied to the sluice chamber. In the first case a further conveying tube contact is arranged at the point 2' by which the container, before reaching the left hand flap 9, automatically returns the valves into their normal position.

The operation in all cases is such that on the passage of the container through the division point two reversals of the valves V V take place shortly after one another. If the arrangement is combined with a delay action device, which after a predetermined time after the actuation of the contact 7? again returns the valves, then a single contact 2 is sufficient for the entire operation in the sluice.

When the operation is to be effected by sections the branches (1 and 03 may be omitted but the succeeding container must then wait in front of the left hand flap 9 until the previous container has reached the next division point. It will only be at this moment that the valves are again reversed in such a manner that the branch is subjected to suction whereby the container which has been stopped is now drawn into the sluice chamber. By means of the contact 2' it then soon connects the sluice chamber to pressure and continues its course in the next section of the conveying tube. With this operation the valves V V (which are then not fork valves) are not only controlled by the sluice chamber contact 2 but also by a conveying tube contact of the succeeding or the previous division point.

I claim:

1. In a tubular postal system divided into sections the combination with the ad acent ends of the conveying tubes at a dlvision point of a connecting chamber between said adjacent ends, closure members, one for each of the ends of the conveying tubes at the division point and located at opposite ends of said chamber, and means for supplying and exhausting an actuating fiuld to and from said chamber.

2. In a tubular postal system the comblnation with a conveying tube of two spaced closure members located in said tube so as to form a chamber between them, and means for supplying pressure and vacuum alternately to said chamber.

3. In a tubular postal system the combination with a conveying tube of two spaced closure members located in said tube so as to form a chamber between them, and means for supplying and exhausting an actuating fluid to and from said chamber, and means for supplying and exhausting an actuating fluid to and from said conveying tube at points thereof outside said chamber.

4. In a tubular postal system the combination with a conveying tube of two spaced closure members located in'said tube so as to form a chamber between them, supply. means for an actuating fluid, and exhausting means, said supply means and exhausting means having points of communication with saidiconmeans, the pointofconnection OfftlIQ exhaustmg meansbeingbeyond one end ofthechamber whilst the pointof connection :of the supply means .is' beyond the other: endofrsaid chamber.

5. In a tubular postalsystem the combination with .a conveying tube OfitWO spaced iclosure members located in said tube SOFHI'Sl/O form a chamberbetween them, supply means for an actuatingifluid, and exhausting means, said supply means and exhaustingmeans having points of communication veying tube' at points between said closure means and at: points beyondsaid closure means, the point of connection of'the.: exhausting means being beyond one end iof'tlle chamber whilst the point of:connection ofizthe. supply means is beyondtheiother end offsaid chamber, and valves in said supply. andzexhaust means, said valves being positively coupled together and adapted to be actuated in such a manner that the supply 3,11Cl'8Xl13llSl3- ing means are connected alternately tosaid chamber ber.

6. In a tubular postal system the combination with a conveying tube of two-spaced closure members located in-saidltube so as to form a chamber between them,,a: pressure supply pipe connected to oneend of said chamber, an exhaustingpipe. connectedzto the other end of said chamber, a.pressure,. "=0

supply pipe connected to said conveyingtube beyond the closure member adjacent theexhausting pipe connected to'said chamber, an exhausting pipe connected to-said conveying pipe beyond the closure member adj acent-the:-

end of the chamber to which the. first unentioned pressure pipe is connected and means forcontrolling the pressuresupplynnd exhausting pipes.

7 A tubular postal system; accordingto claim 6, wherein controlling meansarelocated .on said chamber inthe'patlrof aicontainer adapted to. pass: therethrough :for'. the purpose of controlling the pressure supply and exhausting. pipes.

8. A tubular postal system according to claim 6, wherein control means are provided on the said chamber and on the controlling pipe beyond said chamber for the purpose of controlling the application of suction to said chamber and said conveying pipe.

9. A tubular postal system according to claim 6, wherein control members are provided on said chamber and on tube both in front of and beyond said chamber, said controlling means being adapted to control the supply of pressure and the exhausting of said chamber and said conveying tube.

with said? con-- and to the pointsbeyond said champressure and i said conveying-- 10. In a tubular postal system divided into sections the combination with the adjacent ends of the conveying tubes at a division point of a connecting chamber between said adjacent ends, closure members, one for each of the ends of the conveying tubes at the division point and located at opposite ends of said chamber and means for supplying an actuating fluid to said chamber.

11. In a tubular postal system divided into sections the combination with the adjacent ends of the conveying tubes at a division point of a connecting chamber between said adjacent ends, closure members, one for each of the ends of the conveying tubes at the division point and located at opposite ends of said chamber, means for supplying an actuating fluid to said chamber, and a passage connected to said chamber for permitting the escape of air therefrom.

12. In a tubular postal system the combination with a conveying tube of two spaced closure members located in said tube so as to form a chamber between them, and means 'for supplying an actuating fluid to said chamber, means for supplying an actuating fluid to said conveying tube at a point thereof outside said chamber, and passages connected to said tube at points inside and outside said chamber to permit the escape of air.

13. In a tubular postal system the combination with a conveying tube of two spaced closure members located in said tube so as to form a chamber between them, supply means for an actuating fluid, and exhausting means, said supply means and exhausting means having points of communication with said conveying tube at points between said closure means and at points beyond said closure means, and valves in said supply and exhaust means, said valves being positively coupled together and adapted to be actuated in such a manner that the supply and exhausting means are connected alternately to said chamber and to the points beyond said chamber.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

WILHELM HoHNE. 

